When I talk about our vegan Thanksgiving plans, I keep getting the question, “What are you going to have in place of the turkey and the ham”? So I thought I’d better show you!

It’s funny. I used to make a big deal about the turkey every year. One year, I even bought one online from a heritage turkey farm to support heritage breed turkeys. I studied brine vs no brine, organic and free range birds, and what was the best way to come out with a juicy turkey. My herb compound butter to stuff under the skin was an absolute requirement for my Thanksgiving turkey. Alton Brown’s turkey video was on repeat every Thanksgiving holiday as I planned my approach. And the turkey was absolutely delicious, year after year. We had to do a second turkey one year because there were no leftovers! But you know what?

The turkey wasn’t really the centerpiece of the meal. Yes, it looked pretty, but we always served the dinner buffet-style, so the turkey was carved and placed along side the other dishes. And when I looked at everyone’s plate, most of the overfilled plates were taken up with all the sides – not the turkey or the ham. When I think back about what I wanted to eat most for Thanksgiving back in the day when the holiday was always at grandma’s house, it’s the side dishes that I remember. Cornbread stuffing made with Jiffy mix. Stewed tomatoes. Collard greens. Grandma’s butter beans.

 

My scratch-made gluten free herb cornbread stuffing…

 

A vegan Thanksgiving isn’t too far a leap from any other Thanksgiving. Yes, we used vegan butter in the cornbread and maple syrup in the cranberry sauce instead of the honey, but we had a true feast! Even without a ham and a turkey. My cousin brought so much food that I think three houses have leftovers for days. That’s one of the beautiful things about a huge family meal – you cook once and get to eat and not cook again for awhile!

We had a few items that you wouldn’t normally see at a traditional Thanksgiving meal though. First, my husband made BBQ jackfruit sliders – they were so good they are definitely gonna be on repeat next year! We also had a Gardein loaf, which was like a stuffed turkey breast, in case people wanted a “main dish” on their plate.  But most of the rest was pretty traditional – and delicious! Keep reading: I’ll show you!

 

Perry’s BBQ jackfruit sliders and homemade slaw – delicious!

 

Auntie’s sweet potatoes and brown sugar topping – yum!

 

My roasted brussels and balsamic red onions

 

Homemade mushroom gravy – I wanted to drink it like soup!

 

Mango black bean salad, a gift from my African-American history author cousin!

 

Mashed cauliflower – one of many dishes by my dynamo beauty of a cousin!

 

Cranberries, two ways!

 

There are more pictures – but I don’t want to crash your phone!

 

At the end of all this eating and laughing and talking, I offered dessert. The kids jumped on it, but most everyone else was too full to even consider it. Too bad – my 10 year old daughter made a vegan almond flour chocolate cake with vegan buttercream icing and chocolate ganache that was ridiculous! So good! (I saved room – I planned to taste that cake!)

 

 

After eating, I had to add a little Parks family tradition to the mix. I found a huge paper tree with leaves big enough to write on at a school supply site some years ago, and when it came in the mail it was too lightweight to work with. I laminated the tree on a paper backing, and after painstakingly cutting out each colorful paper leaf, I laminated those and cut them out. Again. So every year, I unroll the tree and hang it up. Usually we sit down at the beginning of November during a family time and write down as many things as we can think of to be grateful for on the leaves, which we then stick on the tree. I never erase the leaves for two reasons: One, who has time for that when it’s time to take down November and set up the Christmas decorations? And two, it’s so sweet to reread what we were grateful for the prior year before re erase and write on the leaves again. This year, we saved the leaves and everyone who was at dinner got a leaf to write on and add to the tree.

 

 

We had such a good time – we want to do it again next year!

What kind of traditions do you have for your Thanksgiving? Please share in the comments below!